But I’m also proud to be at Cato because of the high-quality research. The latest example is a study looking at examples of defensive gun use. It’s a fascinating look at real-world anecdotes, augmented by references to other scholarly work.

If policymakers are truly interested in harm reduction, they should pause to consider how many crimes—murders, rapes, assaults, robberies—are thwarted each year by ordinary persons with guns. …This paper uses a collection of news reports of self-defense with guns over an eight-year period to survey the circumstances and outcomes of defensive gun uses in America. …the study by Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz…found that there were somewhere between 830,000 and 2.45 million defensive gun uses per year in the United States. …The National Survey of Private Ownership of Firearms (NSPOF) was performed in 1994. It…found approximately 1.5 million defensive gun uses. …The high-end figures on defensive gun uses may well suffer from exaggeration or outright lies. …Since the survey data has severe limitations with respect to defensive gun uses, collecting accounts of self-defense as they are reported in news outlets may be a better method of assessing the frequency and nature of self-defense with firearms. The data set supporting this paper is derived from a collection of news stories published between October 2003 and November 2011. …after Colorado’s 2003 concealed carry law was enacted, Colorado State University decided to allow concealed carry,while the University of Colorado prohibited firearms. The former observed a rapid decline in reported crimes, while the latter, under the gun ban they claimed was for safety,observed a rapid increase in crime. Crime at the University of Colorado has risen 35 percent since 2004, while crime at Colorado State University has dropped 60 percent in the same time frame. …Many people support gun control regulations because they are convinced that the average citizen is either incapable of using a gun in self-defense or will use the gun in a fit of anger over some petty matter. Those assumptions are false. The evidence on this point has grown so strong that even President Obama has had to chide gun safety advocates to accept the proposition that“almost all gun owners in America are highly responsible.”And, as the scores of incidents described in this study show, gun owners stop a lot of criminal mayhem—attempted murders, rapes, assaults, robberies—every year. …Policymakers interested in harm reduction should thus refrain from treating ordinary gun owners as hoodlums or loose cannons and adopt policies that respect the ownership and carrying of arms by responsible individuals.

By the way, the last sentence is inadequate. Regardless of what policy makers decide, responsible and prudent people should own guns, even if it means breaking the law. Self defense is a fundamental right, whether for the purpose of thwarting crime, fighting oppression, or (as I explain in my appearance on NRA-TV) protecting against societal breakdown.

If you’re a fan of the Second Amendment, let’s close with some great links. Here are some anti-gun control posters that have been very popular (here, here, here, here, and here). Here are some amusing images of t-shirts and bumper stickers on gun control (here, here, and here). And here are three different videos on gun control (here, here, and here). Feel free to share all of these widely.

38 Responses

Alya, Criminal records are checked before one can purchase a firearm. States are required to submit mental health records to the FBI, who conducts the background checks on firearm purchasers. If the FBI finds a criminal history or history of mental illness, they red flag the permit.

Everyone is talking today about prop. 8 being repealed. No one should be denied their fundamental rights. But you can’t pick which rights you like and which you don’t, it doesn’t work that way! Prop. 8 should make that clear! The anti-gun people are just as bad as the anti-gay marriage people. They are doing exactly the same thing. The fact is, you can’t restrict the rights of others without severely restricting your own rights.

I am gun nut and Vietnam veteran (I think that makes me a terrorist too). I don’t want to give up my right to bear arms but I think the statistics I’ve seen don’t lend themselves to support the paper’s contention:

Every time a gun injures or kills in self-defense, it is used:
11 times for completed and attempted suicides (Kellermann, 1998, p. 263).
7 times in criminal assaults and homicides, and
4 times in unintentional shooting deaths or injuries.

“Every time a gun injures or kills in self-defense, it is used:
11 times for completed and attempted suicides (Kellermann, 1998, p. 263).
7 times in criminal assaults and homicides, and
4 times in unintentional shooting deaths or injuries. ”
That may be true but the vast majority of the time a gun is used in self defense a shot is never fired, or if fired doesn’t hit anyone. There is a estimate of between 800,000 and 2.5 million times a year a law abiding citizen prevents a crime using a gun.

Every time a gun injures or kills in self-defense, it is used:
11 times for completed and attempted suicides (Kellermann, 1998, p. 263).
7 times in criminal assaults and homicides, and
4 times in unintentional shooting deaths or injuries.

[…] can watch some good videos here, here, and here. I also recommend this Thomas Sowell column, this Cato Institute study, this Stephen Hunter column in the Washington Post, and my NRA-TV appearance on the importance of […]

[…] can watch some good videos here, here, and here. I also recommend this Thomas Sowell column, this Cato Institute study, this Stephen Hunter column in the Washington Post, and my NRA-TV appearance on the importance of […]

[…] happen in mass shootings and that this number has been stable for many years. Finally, consider a recent study of defensive gun use by the libertarian Cato Institute. There are hundreds of thousands of such […]

[…] I have a couple of final things to share, including this this video about a woman who lost her parents because she decided to obey a bad government law. And here’s a great study from Cato about individuals using guns to protect themselves. […]

The problem in the schools is multiple-faceted; beginning with the home setting where family units are too often 1 parent, or two beings whom permit electronic toys that often have a violence theme to keep the child busy when they are at home or away. Cell phones to young children need to be regulated to limit their use to immediate family and Parental approved persons.

The teaching curriculum of modern times rarely does a good job of teaching the children for each person has unique learning abilities and subject interests, thus grades do vary among individuals, while the modern School managements have a tendency to make arrangements that all students pass proficienency exams even if it means a fraudulent assist.(Please do not say it doesn’t occur for I have a number of friends that have so advised me that this is the reality and clearly it also occur during power outages when store clerks can’t make change for a twenty bill). Lastly on this subject in 1972. the Congress of the United States choose to adjust the curriculum of all schools to the baseline of the inter-city schools rather than the non-city schools which was much more effective in bright students. The
rationale being two fold: 1.) Require too much investment in cost and 2.) A more wise choice would be to lower the teaching standard to intercity criteria which occurred. The greatest test of Politicians voted
and approved for one great advantage the” dumming” of students and over time voters would benefit there activities. It has occurred several times before in the 20th century and in general in this present time. Mitt Romney and a few other states funded programs to counter this stupidity and Massachusetts
and the other states excel in the collegiate society.

Parents buy gadgets to entertain the children as opposed to forcing them out doors and involved in helping the adults in tasks. The rule should be monetary allowance tied to effort in help on the homestead!

Electronics “Games” depicting violence against humans by many sources are not for fun but to alter attitudes in the modern society. Government needs to start with game regulation similar to the movie classification including on line games. Parental Signature should be a requisite along with the vendor making a confirmation with the parent via phone prior to an online release before any game of human violence is sold on line. At Retail Stores a parent should be the only one to purchase it and be, at least 25, and sign an agreement of waver assuming responsibility if it is given to a juvenile. Heavy fines should provide a deterrent for sale to non-adult.

Teen Gangs that specialize in havoc need to be curtailed absolutely, as does illicit drugs along with the clan destined manufacturing, distribution, and sale of said substances. Mandatory 10 year sentence in a work camp on foreign shores, irrespective of age. This includes parents that use illegal substances and their kids get into it. Synthetic cannabis, LSD, Crystal Met, Hashish, and any mind altering source used by inhalation, injection, oral or absorption means are included.

Any Entity that sells any weapon to a person under the age of twenty 24 years must get clearance from the County Sheriff by a waver after a thorough background investigation or the State Patrol, State Police. Until the Sale is complete said weapon will not be released for sale. Any prior arrest record by either party involved will end the sale for other than a traffic violation, (excluding DWI).

1. Weapons don’t kill any person only the felon kills the innocent or the legitimate owner is forced to kill out of self preservation or to protect their family and assets.

2. It is time that our Congress Enforces the nations laws under The Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States and all Immigration laws. Illegal Infiltrators come across the
Borders of our country.

3. Immigrants come to our nation under a visa and through citizenship process.

4. Our Government is to blame for this morass threw their negligence and subversion of enacted laws.

[…] More guns = more crime and more violence – the evidence is in Yes, the edivence is in: New Cato Institute Study Shows How Private Gun Ownership Reduces Crime, Saves Lives. Disarming the Myths Promoted By the Gun Control Lobby. John Lott is also the leading gun control […]

[…] I have a couple of final things to share, including this this video about a woman who lost her parents because she decided to obey a bad government law. And here’s a great study from Cato about individuals using guns to protect themselves. […]

Can I bring my Bushmaster into the Cato institute? I would be proud to visit you in an “open-carry” office. No doubt many inside the institute are also armed and ready, to help maintain a “polite society”. Do please post your policy on guns in the office.

[…] I have a couple of final things to share, including this this video about a woman who lost her parents because she decided to obey a bad government law. And here’s a great study from Cato about individuals using guns to protect themselves. […]

marshall, so?
Every time a gun injures or kills in self-defense, it is used:
11 times for completed and attempted suicides (Kellermann, 1998, p. 263).
7 times in criminal assaults and homicides, and
4 times in unintentional shooting deaths or injuries.

This makes no argument against ownership.
It is an excellent argument for more concealed carry to: reduce these criminal shootings and more availability of guns to prevent crimes even being attempted.
In short it speaks to more use of guns to prevent crimes.
Please quote the unintentional shooting injuries sourc. The statistics quote preventions as a minimum of 100,000 up to 2.5 million. There are far far far fewer unintentional shootings than this.